Nov. 23--In the auditorium of Jones College Prep high school in the Loop on Saturday, sophomore Marquis Eason took instant command of the stage when he picked up a microphone, twirled it between his fingers and spun a spoken-word poem on Chicago's crime rate.
"I wonder where the cops was at when my cousin got shot in the back? Took ambulance at least 30 minutes to respond to that," he rapped from memory, the audience snapping their fingers along.
Eason is among hundreds of students who wrote two-minute speeches answering the question "If you were the next Mayor of Chicago, what is the first community issue you would tackle, and why?" Speeches were submitted to the annual Project Soapbox competition, coordinated by the Mikva Challenge, an organization for civics advocacy for youth.
The competition is a forum for youth to chime in on what the current and next mayor should do to tackle life in urban Chicago. The best speakers took the podium Saturday for the last rounds of the competition, and the final 16 speeches conveyed both the frustration and optimism Chicago teens have toward the city's socioeconomic problems.
Among the problems teens recognized as the city's most serious were police brutality, neighborhood safety, education funding, racial profiling, LGBTQ rights and domestic violence.
Sophomore Joanna Bahena of Phoenix Military Academy won first place in the competition with an impassioned speech on sexual violence awareness. If she were mayor of Chicago, she said, she would view assistance and justice for rape victims as a top priority.
"We think we are the No. 1 nation in the world, but when it comes to rape rates, we're ranked in sixth place," she said. "We shouldn't even be ranked at all."
Her speech suggested solutions for Chicago such as therapy for rape victims. She'd also strengthen medical attention for victims to address consequences like sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.
"We as a community need to stop and ask ourselves, 'How would we feel if this happened to our mothers? How would we feel if this happened to our sisters?' " she said. "The consequences of rape are physical, emotional and even psychological."
Eason, of Percy L. Julian High School, won the competition's student choice award. Second place went to Jennifer Fischer of Alcott College Prep, who spoke about domestic violence awareness.
Mikva Challenge officials said the program hasn't just improved classroom culture, but has gotten students involved in civic engagement as well. About 64 percent of participants think it's their responsibility to make things better for society, and 84 percent think they can truly make some difference in solving community problems, according to Mikva Challenge data.
"For some of you, this was the first time you stood in front of your peers and articulated your beliefs," Mikva Challenge board member Rito Martinez told the finalists. "Use the power of your voice to transform the city of Chicago."
